I’ve been thinking of doing an FAQ post to answer some questions I get on a regular basis, and today’s as good a day as any so here goes. 😀

1. What do you write?

I mainly write historical western romances, but I have done contemporary romances, Native American romances and a Christian sci-fi thriller under Ruth Ann Nordin. I also have four fantasy novels under the pen name Amanda Winters at http://amandawinters.wordpress.com/. I plan to add a YA Thriller novel to the list of books by Amanda Winters in October 2011. Please note: I am not focusing on Amanda Winters, so I’ll rarely have something by that pen name out.

For my sci-fi thrillers, fantasy and young adult novels, I have no sex. However, my sci-fi thrillers might be R due to violence.

3. Why do you put sex in your books?

I add sex if I feel it enhances the relationship between the hero and heroine. No two books are alike. If the characters need more sex or greater description to add to their relationship, I’ll do it. If they don’t need more details, I leave them out. I go with whatever feels right for each book. But overall, I prefer two to three sex scenes per 70,000 word book and greater description. If that’s not what you’re looking for, then I suggest you find an author who writes at a heat level you are happy with. 🙂

4. Are all sex scenes after marriage?

Yes.

5. What are the chronological order of your books under Ruth Ann Nordin, especially for the Nebraska series?

6. What happened to An Unlikely Place for Love, The Cold Wife, and An Inconvenient Marriage?

Long story short, I converted them all back to historicals because I wasn’t happy with them as contemporaries. These do not have to be read in order. My goal when I write a series is to make each book stand alone.

I just put it back up. I decided that doing more than Ruth Ann Nordin and Amanda Winters is way too much to take on. I’m sorry for those who liked Kate Page.

And yes, this means I’ll be writing Runaway Bride and Just Good Friends under Ruth Ann Nordin, but I’ll get to it when I get to it. My focus is going to be on historical westerns because I love those the most.

8. Do you have a newsletter or some other way I can find out when you have a book out?

To be honest, I consider this blog my newsletter. It’s just a newsletter people can get more than once a month and is interactive with the comments. All you have to do is get the subscription to get an email when I make a new post. Plus, with the blog, you get character interviews, a more behind-the-scenes look at my books, a first look at the covers, story excerpts, etc. 🙂

9. When will my books be on a site like Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, or Apple?

Also, I will not publish directly to Barnes & Noble or Apple because that’s too time consuming. I let Smashwords handle that for me so I have more time to write. It takes longer to publish a book on a site than a lot of people realize.

10. Why don’t you have a first draft blog anymore?

Two big reasons:

a. Other writers felt the need to critique my story even though it’s a first draft, and I can’t write a first draft when I have people breathing down my neck telling me how to change my story. This method might work for some writers, but it hinders my ability to be creative.

b. Someone stole three of my books in June 2011, and having a first draft blog makes me vulnerable to a future case of copyright infringement. Even though I managed to get the three stolen books removed, there are people out there who will take an author’s first draft and publish it as theirs. While I could get the copyright lawyer to force the issue to prove the book is mine, I’d rather not deal with the headache.

11. Why don’t you hang out on Facebook/Twitter/Forums as much as you used to?

To be honest, it all has to do with being busy. Between a husband and kids and trying to keep up with maintaining a house, my free time is usually spent blogging (which I love to do) and writing my next book (which I love even more). In order to do this, I’ve had to cut back on my Internet time.

12. Where are the links where I can buy your books?

Check my website at www.ruthannnordin.com. I have all the links there as the books become available. I update this about once a month, so I might be a little behind from time to time.

13. What if I can’t afford to buy a book?

Then enter my contests when I have them for a chance to win a free copy. I’ll try to run a contest each time I publish a book to make winning one easier for you.

14. Can I be your editor or proofreader?

I already have a proofreader and editor. She used to be an English high school teacher and a journalist at a local newspaper. She has written stories that have won awards, her latest accomplishment being the Writer’s Digest 10th Place award she got for a fictional short story. So no, I don’t need a proofreader or editor.

15. I have a great idea for a story. Will you write it?

Due to some possible copyright entanglements, no. The best person to contact about writing your book is a ghostwriter who will work out a contract protecting you and him/her in case any legal technicalities pop up in the future.

16. Will you critique my work in progress, give me a book review, etc?

I’m going to have to say no. The reason is because I’m already overwhelmed with everything I’m doing. However, there is the Association of Independent Authors which have set ups for this kind of thing. Yes, it cost money to join, but they have resources at your disposal that makes being an indie author a lot easier if you use them. If, however, you don’t want to go that route, the Kindleboards might be a good place to find other authors who’ll work with you.

17. I have a question about formatting a book, publishing, and/or book promotion.

Please visit http://selfpubauthors.wordpress.com/. This is a blog dedicated to helping other writers. If you leave a comment in the “What Topic Would You Like To See Us Post On?”, we’ll be happy to address the topic if we have experience in this area. (This blog is composed other a couple of authors, myself included.) The reason I want authors to post their questions over there instead of emailing me personally is because all authors who read the blog benefit from this. Chances are, someone else reading the blog has the same question that you do. 😀

18. Are you married?

Yes. I’m happily married with four children. I think people ask me this since my focus on romances is the marital relationship, and people want to know if I have firsthand experience in this area. 😉

19. Can you recommend any authors?

My reading interest varies, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll stick with books that are similar to what I write under Ruth Ann Nordin. For romances, I love books by Carolyn Davidson, Paula Freda, and Rose Gordon the most. I also enjoy Janet Syas Nitsick, but her first romance doesn’t come out until early 2012.

Now, if you are a fan of my Return of the Aliens book, then you’ll most likely be interested in authors like Tom Horn, Patrick Heron, and LA Marzulli. These are Christian authors who look at UFOs, conspiracy theories and end-time Biblical prophecy from (what I consider) a very intriguing point of view. And yes, they do influence my sci-fi thrillers.

20. Will you write more sci-fi thrillers?

I plan on it, but it’s as time permits. My first priority is to historical western romance novels.

21. What’s the best way to contact you?

Through the contact form at my website at http://www.ruthannnordin.com/faqs_and_contact_me. I try to respond within a couple days of receiving an email. (If the kids are sick, it takes longer for me to get to emails.) I will not answer any emails that are inappropriate, rude, or bossy. (Yes, I’ve received all kinds over the years and won’t waste time on people who can’t treat me with respect.)

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Got any more questions? Comment or email and I’ll answer it on this blog. Chances are, if you have the question, then someone else does, too. 🙂

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About Ruth Ann Nordin

Ruth Ann Nordin mainly writes historical western romances and Regencies. From time to time, she branches out to contemporaries romances and other genres (such as science fiction thrillers). For more information, please go to www.ruthannnordin.com or check out https://ruthannnordinauthorblog.wordpress.com.